Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies Review: Fly the Fiendly Skies

Tom, Mike and Joey take a look at Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies!
To purchase Sleeping Gods: Distant Skies (paid link): amzn.to/3HSm5vN
0:00 Intro
1:05 Overview
8:53 Final Thoughts
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[@gabtrat9091]

It's nice to incorporate Mike remotely. Makes me miss the 4 square reviews during COVID

[@JonReid01]

4 squares was really special. It would be fun to bring back the series, but mix in a guest from outside the crew each episode.

[@JasonSmithPsychedelicTherapist]

I miss the 4 square reviews. Tom. Roy. Zee. And Mike.

[@Benjahmin1138]

That way his opinions are kept at a safe but observable distance.

[@refreshdaemon]

I like having the small window with Mike in the corner b/c I was getting confused in previous videos, wondering if Mike was somehow being edited in while somehow being distant and it's good to see everyone's reactions to the speaker, despite their location.

[@JamesOrr1987]

I personally always understood he was "there" even while not pictured in previous vidoes, but I can see the recent visual presence in his 'box' is well received, and am glad people enjoy it, it seemed some were disconcerted before. Always love having Mike's take!

[@MattMorley]

I appreciate including Mike in the videos despite not being in the studio.

[@JarradShaw]

That was really cool keeping Mike in these larger review segments. And Mike added some welcomed opinions and perspectives. Thanks everyone!

[@nouryoussef1459]

Keep Mike around forever.

[@cesar1998410]

Thank you for including Mike! Great review

[@hairbrainedgames3127]

So how many fiends does it take to make a "Fiendly" sky? Asking for a fiend...

[@-unknown8566]

Regarding thematic disconnect in battles, look at it like this: Covering/reducing enemy power symbols improves your position on the battlefield, which means the enemy has a harder time actually hitting you. Ignoring enemy power symbols and only attacking their hp means that while you are damaging the enemy, you do nothing to improve your position on the battlefield and can even worsen you position if certain enemy powerup spots aren't covered.

[@gigasnooze]

That's a great way to explain it! Intuitively, I wouldn't have called it "power" but "rage", which would intuitively explain at least the mechanic of it building up as you fight. If you cover up a +1 rage square, that means you fight more carefully, e.g. distracting the enemy, using different combat tactics, or improving positioning as you suggested.

[@wesbrowning5808]

I also feel that your attacks can reduce their power if you play the correct cards vs the correct opponent and just splash into the areas of abilities or power up spots. Then the enemies are actually getting weaker as a result. The combat here really does shine and makes each combat a very strategic puzzle.

[@adamanderson1979]

While you were avoiding comparisons for the sake of review, I think a larger perspective of red raven games would also help. Above and below was all side quest, near and far was an adventuring party sometimes crossing a story, now or never was designed with story optional…

[@Poiuytrew.Q]

Small window viewer is nice and also the photos to help illustrate what they’re talking about. So smooth! And Sesame Street!!! So cute! I thought the characters were flowers at first.

[@JonoNZBoardGamer]

Great editing all round on this video! I know it takes more effort, but feels a lot more polished this time than some previous attempts with adding Mike in

[@eliasar2924]

Loved the format, best regards to all.

[@CosmicTavern]

I really like Mike being involved in these videos remotely. Keep it coming!

[@MerrillWhiteKalEl]

Never played the first Sleeping Gods, but got this one and enjoying it with 2 of my children. We played for a few hours already and we are excited to keep exploring.

[@melski9205]

How many characters does everyone have to look after? Do you have 3 and them 1 each, is that still fun?

[@willemjanwellens]

Whats a good age childwise to coop this game with?

[@MerrillWhiteKalEl]

@@melski9205 My two children are ages 12 and 16. To me it depends on their attention span. I also played all 70+ hours of Oathswarn with them as well. We each have 1 character, and my 16 year old wanted to control 2.

[@daniellebackus819]

@@melski9205the “control” of characters isn’t really a big deal. I played the whole game of the original sleeping gods in 1 player mode, and we all just took turns “running” the game. All the characters can contribute to everything, so there’s no reason you need to choose who controls what really. It’s really a team-based thing.

[@garrettbollig761]

It improves many parts of the original game massively. I have only 2 qualms: -the color of the synergy tokens is too similar to the color of the damage tokens -the world feels smaller than the original and lowered the sense of wonder somewhat

[@JamesOrr1987]

Love the Mike being incorporated in the review! I'd like to try this, I got Sleeping Gods set up on the table twice...and just couldn't get going, there was something holding me back, partially because of what I had heard as far as combat, this seems more approachable.

[@gleasoneast]

Thanks for this review- I had been looking forward to it. My husband and I just got Sleeping Gods to the table for our first campaign in January. We know we have a ton of content left to explore ❤ However, having enjoyed Sleeping Gods and Gloomhaven JotL (still wading into the hobby!), we would love a video specifically on long narrative campaign games that are a bit expensive. A top ten list considering the likes of Galzyr, Sleeping Gods, Tainted Grail, Destinies, ISS Vanguard, whatever! Or at least a Sleeping Gods anchored Pick Six?! They take so much time- and money- narrative adventure campaigns are a big investment. I’d love a little more compare and contrast on that front.

[@Skarpo89]

Really nice that Mike can join the reviews like this!

[@JonReid01]

Positive reviews where everyone really enjoyed a game are so fun to watch!

[@richardclegg8027]

We found it fascinating at first and it really drew us in to "one more round" until it was 2am even more than sleeping gods -- but after a few sessions it got super easy and turns dragged out even for "Hard mode". There is a Veteran mode online which I think would really help with this but we only found it after.

[@JonReid01]

Would have liked to hear a bit more of how it scales with player count. I heard Joey say 1 or 2 is best, but no one else mentioned why or their take on that.

[@utahman06]

“COMPus” tokens are back!

[@boardgamemusic]

The joint remote format works well, so we can have Mike in it. :)

[@Infil]

How is setup/teardown and table space? I heard it was a pretty big complaint of the first game that setup/teardown was brutal and it was a massive table hog. At that point the inertia is just so high to getting the game started that it's just easier to break out an adventure video game. Does this game make that more manageable, especially if it's not an option to keep the game set up for days at a time?

[@richardclegg8027]

Table space is kind of large not much different to first game. Teardown quicker as less things associated to individuals.

[@dilatedbeholder3865]

Totally agree with Joey. The first Sleeping Gods was a solo-only game at its core.

[@StellarlighQc]

Anyone thinks Joey is a Bruce Campbell look alike?? :)

[@JeramyWare]

Would you recommend this as a sort of Jaws of the Lion style intro to the series for someone who backed the kickstarter and has everything?

[@santeeblack3580]

I will be getting this.. the first 1 was so good , even tho we aimlessly drifted around getting pummeled and loosing for the first 4 trys.. this is a great 2 player couples game..

[@seantilson8728]

What if you wanted to play both, which should you play first? Would playing Distant Skies first make Sleeping Gods more onerous?

[@frankndice]

Why hasn’t Mike been in the studio?

[@Attix_Niche]

He lives in Indiana now.

[@rawkyle9385]

Plot twist - He is in the studio they just don’t let him in the same room as Joey

[@tvdavis]

I found the first one so confusing with the keywords & how they (weren’t) explained. Because of potential spoilers, it was hard to find videos that clarified the game play, so it sat on the shelf. Signed up to play at a local convention, and no one playing knew how, so we stumbled through for an hour.

[@MarinaS341]

I find this one much nicer solo! I had a very hard time trying to control combat and other things solo in the original

[@richardclegg8027]

I did not have a problem with the "thematic" combat. I guess you are thinking of the "power" mechanic where they get better at damaging you if you do not attack certain areas. It never occurred to me you needed a particular explanation as usually we hit those things first as it was an obvious tactic. I suppose if you want some explanation, the enemy realises you never attack their sword hand (because you attack something else) so they can safely attack you more fiercely.

[@maarten3811]

I am not sure with the thematic disconnect. In SG I, one of the characters (Rafael?) got more defence and attack once hurt 3x. It was explained with adrenaline. Couldn't this also be the case with these animals? Once hurt they get meaner and fight harder?

[@nerdyjawsh]

Also I know it's not a video game but most bosses and sometimes basic enemies in video games since the beginning of time always get harder and more aggressive the closer they are to death. So I think everyone is okay with that, so I don't see why it would feel weird in a board game. Could change my mind though when I play it.

[@surrealroad]

I really appreciate some of the changes in Distant Skies that make it more streamlined. The main issue I had with Sleeping Gods is that you ended up with this ludicrous tableau that made it feel like a bit of a slog towards the end.

[@rovingmauler7410]

I love the sleeping gods combat. I'm not sure what everyone's gripe is with it. Also, I dont think the enemies are getting stronger, I think it's that they're learning your fighting technique and you're wearing down as the fight goes on.

[@koalabrownie]

How does Primeval Peril fit amongst these two. I wonder if Mike would recommend that as a starting point even moreso than this game given its smaller focus

[@daniellebackus819]

Primevil Peril is great! I have played it through once, and the original Sleeping Gods multiple times. If you don’t like Primevil Peril, then you don’t like Sleeping Gods, so it’s a great bet if you want to try it and not spend all your money on a bigger, more expensive game.

[@koalabrownie]

@@daniellebackus819 Thanks. I probably wouldn't go for sleeping gods anyway because of the need to run 9 characters. Skies and Peril I think both have less characters to run if you're going solo or have a small group

[@daniellebackus819]

@@koalabrownie you don’t really “run” each character. They’re more of a collective group.

[@daniellebackus819]

@@koalabrownie I played the original sleeping gods as a mix of solo and in a group. When we played as a group, we just took turns playing with the solo rules.

[@WilliamRoop-xt6rp]

If they don't have a character named Lucy, they've missed the boat! Her picture must have diamond earrings. (Lucy in the sky with diamonds)

[@AkmalGameAtion]

Easy 10 for me glad yall like it too

[@TabletopHaven]

The airplane for me is also cool yet frustrating. The idea to use the plane to travel to different areas is great. The problem is it ties you to areas so i feel like its more difficult to just explore. Also at times the game almost forces you to move the airplane which then pulls you away from the adventure to deal with the plane. Its definitely the weakest part for me. I play solo and think the game is phenomenal but probably wouldn't want to play with more than 2. Also I imagine combat solo is WAAAY easier than with multiple players since you can stack skills.

[@AkmalGameAtion]

Did u use the quick landing variant? It makes the plane really fun to use.

[@JohnWard-te8pk]

This sounds like a strong sense of Gloomhaven to Jaws of the Lion. The game is simpler, smoother, and rebalanced, probably easier, but has less interesting world to explore? I am tempted by this game.

[@charlesreed8244]

I am a bit out of touch...but why is Mike remote? Did he move far away or something... is he leaving Dice Tower?

[@Ariranhaa]

It makes Sleeping Gods redundant.

[@nicolasarevalo6024]

Agree with Tom here, after 1 campaign of Distant Skies I have no desire to play again, while I know for sure I will go at least through another campaign of SG. In fact, I went through most of the content in my first playthrough, and it wasn't challenging at all. It's a great game but Sleeping Gods is a masterpiece.

[@1AngelAlita]

It was very disappointing. Can be fun a for a little while but it's much shorter than the original Sleeping Gods and completely lacks tension and challenge.

[@richardclegg8027]

There is a Veteran mode online but not in rulebook that may increase challenge.

[@CardboardKame]

For me unfortunately it was a small disappointment. Loving the first SG, but bear in mind, I did not find the game overly hard. I would say Distant skies is better, if you struggle with the first one. My nitpicks....with the emphasis on MY 😅: - combat has almost always just the one strategy...cover as many triangles as possible, and then...well..then the enemies kinda become useless. Also, thanks to the cards being random for the whole crew, you do not actually equip those like weapons, and thus you kinda have the crew seem even more like general workerplacement slots, than individuals? - there are no XP and no crew specific abilities, meaning again, there is even less differentiation between the characters. - the awakening of totems...could have been done so much more thematic. This one is really bad in my eyes. As you go through an exciting adventure, at the end you are awarded with totem, you are full of adrenalin, since it was tense, but because the totem is not awakened...well...you are awarded with something that is useless for now...but later, you stumble across a few berries, and voila you throw them on the totem, and NOW you have the great reward. Talk about disconnect. - Since you have to move the plane from time to time, you acually end up going all over the map several times in ONE playthrough. So after finishing the first one, there was actually not that much left to discover (not the numbered locations, but the atlas maps), so it felt strange to come back. - also, if you pleay it smart, the regular playthrough can last much longer than in the first game, since the timer is in your hands, and once you have a good ways to recover without resting...well...again, you acomplish too much, with not such a big incentive to go back. - Yes, it does take a bit less space, BUT, it is not easier to run SOLO at all, I think. Yes you have 4 less crew to control, but...in the first game you could have only 2 ability cards equiped on each crew. Here you can have 8 cards on each crewmember. So go figure how often you will miss using something. The same goes for adventure cards. By the end of the campaign I had over 50 adventure cards in hand. Again, talk about forgeting to use a card I have somewhere in this giant deck. - And lastly, those "rare" materials for awaking the totems can be so overpowered. By the end, when I knew I would not be awaking any new totems, I had on me resources of around 50-60 damage in total, and you can throw them all at once on...lets say a boss...and almost oneshot it without it striking back.

[@richardclegg8027]

We found some of the same issues as you. If you look online you can find a Veteran mode. We will surely use that next time. In my play through the first two game sessions were challenging and interesting. The next three after that were a long slog because things were too easy.

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

I've heard mixed on this one, like something isn't quite right on the story aspect of mechanics aspect. Doesn't seem like anyone had problems here. For me I'm a little wary that so quickly after one giant magnum opus game comes out, he's already done another one. I know the guys a machine but in that short a time frame, something has to give.

[@JonReid01]

They did say they had one extra writer this time, right? I hear you tho

[@stormburns]

having a main story and less side questy things for sure decreased the work load compared to sleeping gods.

[@richardclegg8027]

I don't think it was that quick. Sleeping gods had been out for some time when the gamefound for this was announced in April 22. By that launch of the funding campaign in April 22 it was clear that a lot of the mechanics and some story and art had been designed. That gives you a year (?) to do more story, artwork and tweak gameplay before build and shipping.

[@freeheeler00]

Tell me you've never fought to the death before without actually saying you've never fought to the death before.

[@Konkytonk]

Wooeh first?!